Take Action: Contact the Governor’s Office on HB1430

On Tuesday, the Maryland State Board of Education voted to adopt COMAR 13A.02.10 – the Maryland Public Charter School Program regulation—marking a significant milestone for public charter schools across our state.

This long-anticipated regulation establishes, for the first time, a comprehensive statewide framework governing charter school operations and funding.

You can review the full regulation here.

What this means for your school and community:

• A statewide funding formula: A clear and consistent process for calculating commensurate funding, including revenue sources, enrollment, and special education allocations.

• Greater transparency and predictability: A consistent methodology to support budgeting and planning for both schools and districts.

• Immediate implementation: It will impact SY26-27 and MSDE has shared that they already have guidance and template drafted. They plan to share those in the next 30 days.

• Defined parameters for costs and fees: While the withholding amounts are higher than we would have liked, the LEAs are now required to follow the defined template and limits.

This regulation reflects years of collaboration and advocacy and is intended to bring greater fairness, transparency, and consistency statewide.

But our work is not done.

Take Action: Contact the Governor’s Office on HB1430

We are asking our community to email the Governor’s Office and urge them to allow HB1430 to pass into law.

HB1430 establishes a dedicated, statewide funding stream for public charter school facilities, helping address longstanding inequities and ensuring schools have the resources needed to maintain safe and effective learning environments.

Please send your email to:

• Governor Wes Moore - governor@gov.state.md.us

• Lester Davis, Chief of Staff - lester.davis@maryland.gov

• Michael Huber, Senior Advisor for Education - michael.huber@maryland.gov

• Jeremy Baker, Legislative Director - jeremy.baker1@maryland.gov

• Matthew Verghese, Federal Relations - matthew.verghese@maryland.gov

A simple message can make a real difference.

Suggested message (feel free to personalize):

Subject: Please Allow HB1430 to Become Law

Dear Governor Moore and Team,

I am writing to respectfully urge you to allow HB1430 to become law.

This legislation is critical to addressing longstanding facilities challenges faced by public charter schools across Maryland. The federal School Facilities Investment Grant (SFIG) program is expected to open soon, and Maryland must have HB1430 enacted in order to apply for and access these funds. Without it, our state risks missing a significant opportunity to invest in safe, high-quality learning environments for more than 25,000 public charter school students.

We are grateful for the leadership of MSDE and your administration in advancing this effort and look forward to continued partnership to support students and families across the state.

Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to Maryland’s students.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Affiliation]